Microorganisms engineered to use unconventional sources of nitrogen

A method comprising:

• contacting a genetically engineered organism with a substrate, wherein the genetically engineered organism has been transformed by a nucleic acid molecule;
• the nucleic acid molecule comprises a non-native gene;
• and the non-native gene encodes for a non-native enzyme selected from the group consisting of allophanate hydrolase, biuret amidohydrolase, cyanuric acid amidohydrolase, guanine deaminase, ammeline hydrolase, ammelide hydrolyase, melamine deaminase, isopropylammelide isopropylaminohydrolase, cyanamide hydratase, urease, and urea carboxylase, and wherein:
• the substrate comprises a nitrogen-containing fraction and a non-nitrogen-containing fraction;
• the nitrogen-containing fraction comprises, in an amount from about 10% by weight to about 100% by weight, a nitrogen-containing compound of any one of Formulas I-III, or a salt thereof;
• a native organism of the same species as the genetically engineered organism could not metabolize the nitrogen-containing compound;
• and
• the compound of formula I is
• wherein, independently for each occurrence,
• is a five-, six, nine-, or ten-membered aryl or heteroaryl group;
• R is —OH, —CO2H, —NO2, —CN, substituted or unsubstituted amino, or substituted or unsubstituted alkyl;
• and
• n is 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5;
• the compound of formula II is
• wherein, independently for each occurrence,
• X is —NH—, —N(alkyl)-, —O—, —C(R1)2—, —S—, or absent;
• Y is —H, —NH2, —N(H)(alkyl), —N(alkyl)2, —CO2H, —CN, or substituted or unsubstituted alkyl;
• and
• R1 is —H, —OH, —CO2H, —NO2, —CN, substituted or unsubstituted amino, or substituted or unsubstituted alkyl;
• and
• the compound of formula III is
• wherein, independently for each occurrence,
• Y is —H, —NH2, —N(H)(alkyl), —N(alkyl)2, —CO2H, —CN, or substituted or unsubstituted alkyl.